11,411 research outputs found
Approximation for Maximum Surjective Constraint Satisfaction Problems
Maximum surjective constraint satisfaction problems (Max-Sur-CSPs) are
computational problems where we are given a set of variables denoting values
from a finite domain B and a set of constraints on the variables. A solution to
such a problem is a surjective mapping from the set of variables to B such that
the number of satisfied constraints is maximized. We study the approximation
performance that can be acccchieved by algorithms for these problems, mainly by
investigating their relation with Max-CSPs (which are the corresponding
problems without the surjectivity requirement). Our work gives a complexity
dichotomy for Max-Sur-CSP(B) between PTAS and APX-complete, under the
assumption that there is a complexity dichotomy for Max-CSP(B) between PO and
APX-complete, which has already been proved on the Boolean domain and 3-element
domains
Algebraic Properties of Valued Constraint Satisfaction Problem
The paper presents an algebraic framework for optimization problems
expressible as Valued Constraint Satisfaction Problems. Our results generalize
the algebraic framework for the decision version (CSPs) provided by Bulatov et
al. [SICOMP 2005]. We introduce the notions of weighted algebras and varieties
and use the Galois connection due to Cohen et al. [SICOMP 2013] to link VCSP
languages to weighted algebras. We show that the difficulty of VCSP depends
only on the weighted variety generated by the associated weighted algebra.
Paralleling the results for CSPs we exhibit a reduction to cores and rigid
cores which allows us to focus on idempotent weighted varieties. Further, we
propose an analogue of the Algebraic CSP Dichotomy Conjecture; prove the
hardness direction and verify that it agrees with known results for VCSPs on
two-element sets [Cohen et al. 2006], finite-valued VCSPs [Thapper and Zivny
2013] and conservative VCSPs [Kolmogorov and Zivny 2013].Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1207.6692 by other author
Polynomial-time Solvable #CSP Problems via Algebraic Models and Pfaffian Circuits
A Pfaffian circuit is a tensor contraction network where the edges are
labeled with changes of bases in such a way that a very specific set of
combinatorial properties are satisfied. By modeling the permissible changes of
bases as systems of polynomial equations, and then solving via computation, we
are able to identify classes of 0/1 planar #CSP problems solvable in
polynomial-time via the Pfaffian circuit evaluation theorem (a variant of L.
Valiant's Holant Theorem). We present two different models of 0/1 variables,
one that is possible under a homogeneous change of basis, and one that is
possible under a heterogeneous change of basis only. We enumerate a series of
1,2,3, and 4-arity gates/cogates that represent constraints, and define a class
of constraints that is possible under the assumption of a ``bridge" between two
particular changes of bases. We discuss the issue of planarity of Pfaffian
circuits, and demonstrate possible directions in algebraic computation for
designing a Pfaffian tensor contraction network fragment that can simulate a
swap gate/cogate. We conclude by developing the notion of a decomposable
gate/cogate, and discuss the computational benefits of this definition
Absorbing Subalgebras, Cyclic Terms, and the Constraint Satisfaction Problem
The Algebraic Dichotomy Conjecture states that the Constraint Satisfaction
Problem over a fixed template is solvable in polynomial time if the algebra of
polymorphisms associated to the template lies in a Taylor variety, and is
NP-complete otherwise. This paper provides two new characterizations of
finitely generated Taylor varieties. The first characterization is using
absorbing subalgebras and the second one cyclic terms. These new conditions
allow us to reprove the conjecture of Bang-Jensen and Hell (proved by the
authors) and the characterization of locally finite Taylor varieties using weak
near-unanimity terms (proved by McKenzie and Mar\'oti) in an elementary and
self-contained way
Conservative constraint satisfaction re-revisited
Conservative constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) constitute an important
particular case of the general CSP, in which the allowed values of each
variable can be restricted in an arbitrary way. Problems of this type are well
studied for graph homomorphisms. A dichotomy theorem characterizing
conservative CSPs solvable in polynomial time and proving that the remaining
ones are NP-complete was proved by Bulatov in 2003. Its proof, however, is
quite long and technical. A shorter proof of this result based on the absorbing
subuniverses technique was suggested by Barto in 2011. In this paper we give a
short elementary prove of the dichotomy theorem for the conservative CSP
Aggregation of Votes with Multiple Positions on Each Issue
We consider the problem of aggregating votes cast by a society on a fixed set
of issues, where each member of the society may vote for one of several
positions on each issue, but the combination of votes on the various issues is
restricted to a set of feasible voting patterns. We require the aggregation to
be supportive, i.e. for every issue the corresponding component of
every aggregator on every issue should satisfy . We prove that, in such a set-up, non-dictatorial
aggregation of votes in a society of some size is possible if and only if
either non-dictatorial aggregation is possible in a society of only two members
or a ternary aggregator exists that either on every issue is a majority
operation, i.e. the corresponding component satisfies , or on every issue is a minority operation, i.e.
the corresponding component satisfies We then introduce a notion of uniformly non-dictatorial
aggregator, which is defined to be an aggregator that on every issue, and when
restricted to an arbitrary two-element subset of the votes for that issue,
differs from all projection functions. We first give a characterization of sets
of feasible voting patterns that admit a uniformly non-dictatorial aggregator.
Then making use of Bulatov's dichotomy theorem for conservative constraint
satisfaction problems, we connect social choice theory with combinatorial
complexity by proving that if a set of feasible voting patterns has a
uniformly non-dictatorial aggregator of some arity then the multi-sorted
conservative constraint satisfaction problem on , in the sense introduced by
Bulatov and Jeavons, with each issue representing a sort, is tractable;
otherwise it is NP-complete
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